We've been training marine naturalists since 1994.
Our marine naturalist training course (MNTP) is an intensive multi-day overview of the natural history of the San Juan Islands and the marine waters of Washington and Southern British Columbia (known as the Salish Sea). This course includes an in-depth treatment of the ecology and conservation of local marine species, presented by highly trained local naturalists, environmental educators, and scientists. The upcoming Spring Session will be fully-in person while the Summer Session will be hybrid. Both sessions will be dynamic and high-quality experiences that leave graduates qualified as a regional professional or volunteer naturalist.
Come Interested, Leave Qualified
The 2026 Spring Session will be fully in-person while the Summer Session will be a hybrid of virtual learning and optional in-person field trips. For either session, participants can earn a Whale Museum naturalist certification by completing an extra 10-hour practicum, which can be arranged during this course. For the Summer Session, participants don’t have to participate in the field trips to be eligible for the certification. Completion of this course also entitles you to become a member of the Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists (SSAMN). Clock hour credits are available.
Course Registration:
Spring Session Dates (fully in-person):
April 14-19, 2026 (approximately 9:00 am-4:30 pm Pacific Time each day)
Summer Session Dates (hybrid):
Virtual Presentations (approximately 9-4 Pacific time each day) : July 7-11, 2026
In-Person Field Trips on San Juan Island: July 24-26, 2026 (must have completed MNTP to participate). Field trip days will mostly be full days, starting around 9:00 am and ending around 4:30 pm Pacific time.
Spring Session Tuition Rates:
Tuition includes the following:
Summer Session Tuition Rates:
Virtual Program Tuition Rates:
Tuition includes the following:
For the virtual portion of the Summer Session, a limited number of student scholarships are available (to apply, click here). If applying for the scholarship, do not make a registration payment.
In-Person Field Trip Participation Fee (optional participation):
Fee includes the following:
Registration applications are processed in the order they are received. You will be notified with a confirmation letter once your registration has been processed. Please note for the Spring Session, and the in-person portion of the Summer Session, that you are responsible for your own travel to SJI, lodging, and any meals outside of what is listed.
Field Trip class size is limited to 29 participants.
Refund Policy:
If you cancel, tuition is fully refundable up until four weeks from the start date of your course. Within four weeks, we can only provide a full refund if your space in the program is filled. If not filled and you decide to cancel between two to four weeks before the start of class a 50% refund can be issued. If you cancel within less than two weeks before the start of class, no refund can be issued. Your refund, if any, will be processed on or before the first day of class. The Whale Museum reserves the right to cancel the program at any time. In the event the program is canceled, you will be issued a full refund.
What to Expect for 2026:
The main focus of the training is the ecology, current status and conservation of Southern Resident killer whales and other local marine species as well as discussions about the environments they live in. The course includes presentations on cetaceans, pinnipeds, otters, intertidal invertebrates, seabirds, and a variety of other topics such as geology and marine conservation. Faculty includes Whale Museum staff, professional naturalists, marine scientists, and environmental educators active in the region.
The Spring Session will be fully in-person and will be a mixture of approximately 50% class lectures and 50% field trips.
The Summer Session will be hybrid. For the virtual portion of this session, lectures will take place virtually through webinar/videoconferencing software, such as RingCentral and Zoom. They will either be pre-recorded or presented live virtually and recorded at that time. If participating in the virtual portion of the Summer Session, presentation recordings will be made available to participants for up to 3 months afterwards.
For both the Spring and Summer Sessions, field trips will be mainly here on SJI (for the Spring session, a day on Orcas Island is scheduled). For both sessions, field trip excursions will include a marine wildlife boat trip; birding; a geology hike; tide-pooling; visits to San Juan County Land Bank/False Bay/West side areas and Lime Kiln Point State Park; as well as tours of The Whale Museum and Lime Kiln Point State Park Lighthouse. Please note: the number of field trips, and the types of field trips, will not vary significantly between the Spring and Summer sessions.
A full schedule, class links, and materials with be provided to registered students closer to the start of the session.
Feel free to contact Tracie Merrill with any questions.